Stone-throwing causes damage to six windows in Vande Bharat Express

Bengaluru: Stone-throwing in Bengaluru caused damage to six windows on the Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express, forcing the South Western Railway (SWR) to enhance patrolling beginning from Sunday in places where such instances have been reported.

Around 10.30 p.m. on Saturday, South India's inaugural Vande Bharat Express travelling from K R Puram Railway Station to Bengaluru Cantonment was struck by stones, breaking six windows. The train was travelling to its second stop, K S R Bengaluru, when it departed M G R Chennai station at 5:50 a.m.The train was going at a speed of roughly 90 km/hr when the stones were hurled, and fortunately, there was only little damage to the windows, according to an SWR official. But, since the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express in November of last year, there have been two incidents in which stones have been thrown at the train. The railway police did not file a case in the first incident that happened in January since there was no damage.

Investigation into these incidents has suggested that college students and slum dwellers may have been involved, although Saturday's incident's perpetrator has not yet been identified.

According to SWR, there have been a lot of recent instances of stones being thrown at trains. On the Bengaluru Division of the South Western Railway, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) reported 13 cases in February 2023 and 21 cases in January 2023 of stone-pelting.

The Railways Act, 1989's sections 152 (Maliciously hurting or attempting to hurt persons travelling by railway line), 147 (Trespass and refusal to desist from trespass), and 154 (Endangering the safety of persons travelling by railway line by rash or negligent act or omission) have all been the subject of cases filed by the railway police.